The Daily News. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1915. GERMANY'S LATEST HORROR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 284, 10 May 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1915. GERMANY'S LATEST HORROR.

The sinking of the Lusitania, one of the magniiicent Jloating. palaces that was liuiit for the '.Anglo-American trade, lias come as a profound shock both to : American:; and to the people of the British Empire. The disaster would have been deeply felt had it been due to the ' ordinary perils of the sea, but as it , was the outcome of a deliberately planned, cold-blooded aet of vengeance by the apostles of German "kultur" there is an added grief arising from the litter callousness of our unscrupulous foe that no words can adequately express. ft is stated that an official at. Washington .was told that the Lusitania's dc- : struction was fixed for the very day on which it occurred, and we have it ; also recorded that 'warnings were given before the vessel left on her fateful trip ■ with 21-00 souls on board. The captain is said to have, ridiculed the warnings, owing to the high speed at which this ocean greyhound travelled. Whetheranything' could have been done to protect the vessel on approaching her destination is not at present in question. The sad fact remains that while the first-class pasaengers, of -whom there were 270, were at lunch on Friday, the ship being ofl" the Head of Kinsalc, she wan torpedoed and said; in less than halt' an hour, 1502 lives being lost. It is (laid that two io'-pedors struck the ship, but whatever number it was her end was speedy, and the loss of life heavy, iu spite of the promptitude with which assistance was sent to the spot. It is •not surprising to find that the authors of this gigantic horror are rejoicing over "the new triumph of German naval policy," and giving vent to the sentijnent that England has got what she deserved," forgetting that the day of reckoning must come when Germany ayd tier people must get what they deserve. Hie American Press has been goaded into intense feeling over this terrible ati ocitv, which is referred to in terms of the highest reprobation, and ex-President Roosevelt has again emphasised tlmt America owes it to her national selfrespect. to take action. Whatever action America may take ivill not minimise the great loss of life that has been caused. For the victims and their relatives there will be universal sympathy, enhanced by the. terrible circumstances under which all those valuable lives were lost. Words cannot express the feelings ftf horror which such a cold-blooded aet t)f piracy and murder evokes. The only excuse given for the deed was that the fjusitania was armed, and that excuse

lias no foundation. Onnany may say that she was not aware of the disarmament, but tliat will not hold good uow that the foul deed is done, nor ean she outlive the stain for many decades. It is Init another crime to tile imperishable discredit of Germany, whose action assumes tlie shape of a deliberate challenge to America to do her worst. The next day or two will show whether America lias backbone and 'pride enough to accept the challenge. Meantime, we read -the feeling anions .Americans against (iermany is -rowing i n intensity, and that the.Ambassador to llerlm has been instructed t„ ask for details from the Herman (lovernnient. T.iit America should not ask for details; the farts speak, and speak tragically, for themselves.